Overview
The NATO Communications and Information Academy (NCI Academy) offers training on both static and deployed NATO communication and information systems (CIS). This includes Consultation, Command, Control, Communications and Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4ISR), as well as cyber security and cyber defence. The NCI Academy also provides education and training services through its Academy Learning Environment (ALE), including the Training Management System (TMS), Learning Management System (LMS), Academy Training Network (ATN), and future components such as the Adaptive Learning Platform.
The NCI Academy is outsourcing the Help Desk function for the ALE. The Help Desk team shall work in close coordination with, and report to, the Academy Technical Capability (TeC) Team.
Objective
The objective of this service is to ensure timely and effective Help Desk support for the Academy Learning Environment (ALE). The Help Desk shall provide first-line support to end users of the ALE (students, instructors, course developers, training coordinators, and Academy staff) by responding to requests and resolving issues when interacting with ALE systems (TMS, LMS, ATN, Adaptive Learning Platform, and supporting infrastructure).
The Academy Technical Capability (TeC) Team will perform assigned requests, routine support tasks, and escalate complex technical issues with proper follow-up. The Help Desk scope covers both user-facing and internal technical support, ensuring continuity of service and timely incident resolution, with effective collaboration with Level 2/3 teams.
Scope of Work
3.1 Operation of the ALE Help Desk
The Contractor shall operate the ALE Help Desk as the primary interface for support requests, incidents, and changes, covering end users and the TeC Team. Permanent coverage is required during NCI Academy working hours (07:00-17:00 CET).
All requests shall be logged and tracked in the ALE ticketing system, regardless of channel (ticketing system, e-mail, IM, telephone, in-person).
The following activities shall be executed:
* Operation of ALE Help Desk: All requests logged and tracked; written response within 30 minutes (resolution or status update with priority and prognosis); 07:00-17:00 CET coverage
* Ticket Escalation and Management: Tickets created and transferred with zero data loss; escalation procedures followed with full traceability
* User Account and Course Support: Accounts activated, issues resolved, enrolments and progress supported, certificates generated; ≥95% user satisfaction
* Monthly Report: On-time report including ticket volumes, performance metrics, escalations, and user feedback
* Improvement Proposals: Actionable recommendations for process or UX improvements based on metrics and feedback
Services will be delivered in Sprints (5 working days each) and can be executed by one resource. The resource will be provided as part of an NCI Agency team.
Deliverables, KPIs and Payments
4 SPRINTS PLANNING, EXECUTION, REVIEW AND PAYMENT are described with agile delivery, sprint planning, execution and review processes. Deliverables for each sprint include planned activities, acceptance criteria and monthly payments. See sections 4–6 for details on sprint execution, review, payment milestones, and KPIs.
KPIs and Penalties
The Contractor must deliver high-quality Help Desk support in line with the following KPIs:
* KPI01: Response time for all incidents, changes, and service requests — Standard: written response within 30 minutes; Thresholds and penalties apply
* KPI02: High-priority incident reporting within 30 minutes of ticket opening
* KPI03: Lower-priority incident reporting within 4 hours of ticket opening
* KPI04: User satisfaction ≥ 95%
* KPI05: Shift coverage 07:00-17:00 CET with ≥80% coverage
Penalties apply for under-performance as defined in the statement of work, with monthly reporting to TeC Team.
Coordination and Reporting
The Contractor reports to the TeC Team Lead and participates in weekly sprint planning and review meetings. All formal communications, deliverables, and reports shall be in English.
Schedule and Constraints
Initial period: 01 December 2025 – 31 December 2025. Option years: 2026, 2027, 2028. Contractors must use approved software and comply with NATO/NCI policies and data security requirements. All data must be handled in accordance with NATO and NCI rules.
Place of Performance: NCI Academy premises in Oeiras, Portugal. Remote work is not permitted. Working hours align with 07:00-17:00 CET. Some service delivery may occur during local public holidays per NATO/NCI guidance.
Qualifications
Essential Qualifications and Experience (12.1):
* Help Desk / IT Support: minimum 5 years in a help desk or technical support role, with multi-system experience (LMS, TMS, or equivalent)
* Communication: excellent English written and verbal skills
* User Orientation: strong customer-service, empathy, patience
* Collaboration: ability to coordinate with end users, TCS, Level 2/3 support
* Documentation: ability to create and maintain technical documentation
* Analytical: strong problem-solving and troubleshooting
* Solid Technical Experience: hardware/software troubleshooting across Windows, macOS, Linux; basic networking; Active Directory; malware/ vulnerabilities; PowerShell scripting
* System and Server Management: Windows Server and Linux server administration; virtualization
* Advanced Support Skills: escalate and coordinate with higher-level teams; create end-user guides
Desirable Qualifications (12.2):
* Diagnostic tools proficiency; cybersecurity practices; NCI Agency experience; agile experience
* Industry certifications (MCSA, CompTIA Server+, CCNA, MD-100/MD-101)
* Experience with ITSM ticketing, Webex/Microsoft Teams, AV support, leadership, mentoring
Language Proficiency (12.3): English level per NATO STANAG 6001 or CEFR B2-C1.
Seniority, Employment Type, Job Function, Industries
* Seniority level: Entry level
* Employment type: Contract
* Job function: Other
* Industries: IT Services and IT Consulting
Note: This refined description preserves the essential content and responsibilities while removing extraneous formatting and duplications. It adheres to the allowed HTML tags and reduces presentation-related issues.
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